Jim Donovan: West African War Dance Rhythms

Originally a war dance but now performed mainly for entertainment at community gatherings, Gota hails from the ancient kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa.

Jim Donovan: Guinean Grooving

Drum-set adaptations of common bell patterns found in traditional Guinean music.

Kakilambe is a masked dance from the Baga people, who live in the lower Guinea region of West Africa. The brief story behind this rhythm is that the Kakilambe serves as an oracle that provides information about the well-being of the village and forest to its inhabitants.

Practice Pad \ World \

More Fun With Fanga

This is a continuation of my last lesson that will bring us a bit deeper into a drum-set adaptation for the popular West African piece known as fanga. Learn each measure of Exs. 1–4 one at a time, and then begin combining the measures with each other.